he City Repair project in Portland Oregon defi nes intersection repair
as “the citizen-led conversion of an urban street intersection into a
public square … With an Intersection Repair,” they say, “public space is
reclaimed for the whole community. Th e intersection of pathways becomes a place
for people to come together. Th e space becomes a place.”
Th e four corners of Fernwood village form a circle, not a square, a hub, a
gathering space, a place of encounter. Since the renovation of the Belfry Th eatre,
the opening of the popular She Said Gallery, and, more recently Fernwood NRG’s
purchase of the Cornerstone building and the Wilson brothers’ revival of the tired
old Dragon, people have been fl ooding into the village again. We hope they are
here to stay.

When our Society went through a
rebranding process last year, changing
our name from the Fernwood
Community Centre Society to the
Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource
Group (Fernwood NRG), we had an
extended debate about our new tag line.
We ended up with “Resident Powered
Neighbourhood Evolution” and we’re
happy with this. Yet one of the taglines we
dismissed has been ringing through my
head as I’ve been putting this, the first issue
of our spanky new Village Vibe together.
As I’ve been spending all my free time
volunteering at the Cornerstone building.

The line we rejected: “Place making
people.” Fernwood NRG: Place Making
People. I like the ambiguity. People make
place but place also makes people. Where
and how we live matters.
In 2002 Alan Durning, founder of the
Sightline Institute (formerly Northwest
Environment Watch) wrote a book called,
This Place on Earth: Home and the Practice
of Permanence. In This Place on Earth he
says: “The Earth is such a big place that it
might as well be no place at all … If this is
true, it means that to seek durable answers
to global challenges, the conscientious
must – without losing sight of the universal

declaration
of principles
and values
We are committed to creating a socially,
environmentally, and economically
sustainable neighbourhood;
We are committed to ensuring
neighbourhood control or ownership of
neighbourhood institutions and assets;
We are committed to using our resources
prudently and to becoming financially
self-reliant;
We are committed to the creation and
support of neighbourhood employment;
We are committed to engaging the dreams,
resources, and talents of our neighbours
and to fostering new links between them;
We are committed to taking action in
response to neighbourhood issues, ideas,
and initiatives;
We are committed to governing
our organization and serving our
neighbourhood democratically with
a maximum of openness, inclusivity
and kindness;
We are committed to developing the skills,
capacity, self-worth, and excellence of our
neighbours and ourselves;
We are committed to focusing on the future
while preserving our neighbourhood’s
heritage and diversity;

– begin with place, and specifically with
one place.”
Begin with one place. In this past
year many people in the neighbourhood
have helped to do precisely this. To start
with one place. Fernwood and Gladstone.

A group in New York City that’s been
around for over 30 years called Project for
Public Spaces sent an email around recently
announcing a weekend long workshop
(for $475 US!) on “How to Turn A Place
Around.” Seems like in Fernwood we’ve

Where and how we live matters.
This place on earth. This little corner of
the planet known as Fernwood. The four
corners of our village square featured on the
cover are a reflection of the place making
that residents have been engaged in.

figured it out for ourselves. Building on
what we have right here, on the dreams,
skills, time, and efforts of our neighbours,
Fernwood is coming alive again.
Let the Fernwood Renaissance
continue!

Fernwood NRG update
>> by Roberta Martell
The Society held its Annual General Meeting
on Thursday September 28th. For the approximately 40
people who attended, it was an evening of celebration
and recognition, highlighting the many accomplishments
of the Society over the past year. These included the
expansion of daycare programs at the Fernwood
Community Centre, a third year in a row in the black,
a substantial increase in the overall productivity of the
Society, and the revitalization of the neighbourhood core
through the soon to be completed Cornerstone Building.
At the AGM Jim Starck, Susan Salvati, Margaret
Hantiuk, Paula DeBeck and Lisa Helps – board members
whose terms were up – were re-elected to the board. We
also welcome our two newest board members elected at
the AGM, Dave Kesson of Camosun Street and Lucky
Budd who lives on Forbes.
At the Centre itself we’ve made some changes
in order to continue to offer quality services to the
neighbourhood. CAP Computer users now have a more
private place to access free email and Internet. Our
administration is concentrated in a central location (the
admin pod!) in order to increase communications and
overall efficiency. Shauna Voss, our long time Operations
Manager, has been promoted to the position of
bookkeeper for the Society. James, Cindy, and Jacqueline
will continue Shauna’s legacy of service at the front desk.

And we’ve hired a new accountant, Gwyn Thompson,
who will soon be joining us (in person!) from Napanee
Ontario where she’s retiring after over 25 years of service
at Loyalist College. We intend to keep her busy in her
retirement and warmly welcome her on board.
Seniors Autumn Glow lunches have begun again
after a break for the summer. Lunches were launched with
an open house in mid September. Welcome to Joanne,
our new chef, and thanks to Elsa for all her great work!
In early September we held staff retreat and team
building day facilitated by Mackenzie Brooks. On the
Childcare front we say goodbye to Lisa Whynacht who
moved on to open her own daycare. We welcome Tania
Powell who has stepped up to run George Jay Out of
School Care and has the program filled to capacity already.
The renovation of the Cornerstone has continued
and, as the Village Vibe goes to press, we are within days
of finishing the four, market-based family affordable
housing units, three of which will be occupied as of
November 1st! We’ve also signed a conditional lease
with great tenants for the middle suite. Stay tuned for
more info. The Cornerstone Café, our community coffee
shop, will be opening the end of October, creating eight
new jobs in the core of our neighbourhood as well as
providing a ‘space of encounter’ and neighbourhood
living room for Fernwood! Thanks to all who have spent
many a day painting, sweeping, sanding, cleaning, and
building. Come down, grab a latte and help us build the
neighbourhood from the grounds up!

Building neighbourhood from the grounds up.

We are committed to creating
neighbourhood places that are vibrant,
beautiful, healthy, and alive;
and, most of all,
We are committed to having fun!

Vining. When I was a little girl one of my friends
lived in the big brick house and I thought it was
magical. And now I live on Vining Street in a cute
little house that is also very magical.

Chambers. Because of the Compost Ed Centre and
the allotment gardens.

Michael Jones
Rudlin. It’s where I live and it’s a nice
neighbourhood, that street. Everyone comes
out and participates. We have block parties.
My favourite architecturally? Vining.

Notes from Vic High:
A School that is Proud of its
Community, A Community that
is Proud of Its School
>> by Margaret Hantiuk, Vic
High Parent Advisory Council
Vic High is now rolling into full
gear with nearly 900 students.
We are a school that is famous for
being tolerant and non-conforming
and our students reflect the inner city
neighbourhoods that surround the school.
We have about 40 International students,
100 or so First Nations students, ESL
students as well as some students who live
on their own or are young parents with
children in the daycare behind the school.
Vic high students come from Fernwood,
Fairfield, James Bay, North Park, Jubilee,
Hillside, Quadra and beyond. Many
students from outside of the area transfer
to our school either for the outstanding
Fine Art and Tech Ed courses (Vic High
has some of the finest Tech Ed facilities
of any high school on the Island!) or the
casual and easy going ambience.

While being a historic landmark in
Victoria (and the oldest high school in
Western Canada), Vic High is sporting
something new this year: a new principal
and two new vice principals. After filling
the position of vice principal for three
years, Stephen Bennett, who launched
his teaching career at Vic High when he
did his final practicum here as a UVic
student in 1980, has stepped into the
school’s leading role. Stephen taught
high school English and Social Studies
for about 20 years in the Mission
School District. His wife, raised up
Island in Comox, is a nurse and they
have three children attending UVic.
Mr. Bennett is very happy to be our
Principal. “I enjoy this schools’ students
because they are open, thoughtful and
respectful individuals,” he said.
He enjoys the parents as well, noting
that most Vic High parents are caring
parents, concerned not just with their

Principal Stephen Bennett set on continuing to make Vic High and inclusive and supportive community.

own kid, but also with all of the kids
at the school. He hopes to continue to
work together with parents, staff, and
the community to uphold Vic High’s
traditions of acceptance and excellence.
Stephen would like all Vic High parents
and guardians to feel welcome to call or
to come into the school to meet him and
to express any concerns or get answers for
any questions they may have in regards to
their son or daughter’s experience at Vic
High. Watch for an open invitation to
come in and tour the school while classes
are in progress to see what it’s really like.

Our new vice principals are Tom
Aerts who hails from Arbutus Middle
School and is originally from Campbell
River and Maureen Munro, who was here
last year and is our liaison with the Career
Prep programs at Camosun College.
September started with two events
to welcome students back to school:
first was the time-honoured tradition of
staff serving the students pancakes (the
“Cornerstone Breakfast”). The Students
Council/Leadership crew has created a
newer tradition, a lunch hour Corn Roast.
– continued page 8

calling all writers, photographers, artists
aspiring journalists, poets, short story writers
The new and improved Village Vibe needs you. Contact villagevibe@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca
All submissions due the 10th of the month for the following month.

It is 6:30 a.m.
I leave my Vining Street home bound for an early morning
yoga class. The cold fall morning is upon me. Bike past a still
silent Vic High, down Grant, steer deftly between the yellow
guard rails bordering Haegart Park and there lying beneath
the tree, a person. Asleep. I slow and slide quietly by. Continue
down Grant. Mount Royal Bagels warm inside and fresh
smells of baking. Onto Cook, past Wellburns and another
body, curled in a doorway. Swing onto Yates, then Vancouver.
At View, the Bottle Depot where shopping carts used to be
lined up along the fence, awaiting those whose labour clears
out our recycling box, whose labour saves the planet. Onto
Meares. I lock my bike behind the Yoga Centre, glance across
at Cathedral Park and there, another person, bundled in
blankets, stretches awake.
In 1998, at the urging of the Toronto Disaster Relief
Committee, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
and over 400 other organizations around the country
proclaimed homelessness a “national disaster requiring
emergency humanitarian relief ” and demanded that the
federal government take action. In response, Ottawa created
the National Homelessness Initiative (NHI), which, through
its Supporting Community Partnership Initiative (SPCI),
funded 61 communities between 1999 and 2003 to the
tune of $305 million. Given the success of the program in
improving the quality of life for homeless people and those at
risk of becoming homeless, in 2003 the federal government
committed another $405 million for three more years. In just
the first four and a half years of the NHI:
>> Over 9,000 beds in transitional housing were created
>> 725 homeless shelters received funding for upgrades, plus
403 food banks, soup kitchens and drop-in centres
>> 3,600 services (including housing placement, food and
clothing distribution, transportation, information/
referrals/follow-up, psychosocial services, emergency
health and addiction services, education/life skills,
training/employment, legal/financial services,
identification acquisition) were funded
>> Over 1,000 capacity building activities were supported
In Victoria, Out of the Rain youth shelter, the Prostitute’s
Empowerment, Education, and Resource Society (PEERS),
the Burnside Gorge Community Centre, the Victoria Native
Friendship Centre, the Cool Aid Society, and right here in
Fernwood the M’Akola Housing Society, were just a few of
many organizations to benefit. The government has allocated
another $134.8 million for 2006-2007. As of March 31st
2007, the NHI is slated to end. The national disaster is not.
What caused this disaster? The evidence is overwhelming. The
solution to homelessness is affordable and supportive housing.

Page 4 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | November 2006

VillageVibe

Or, put another way, a decrease in affordable housing
has equaled, in Canada over the past 35 years, an
increase in homelessness. After World War II, returned
veterans needed housing and the federal government
responded; between the 1940s and 1960s Ottawa
funded about 12,000 units of public housing. Between
the 1970s and the early 1980s the federal government
invested heavily in social housing, building on average
20,000 new units per year. Yet at the same time, in the
early 1970s, new legislation in the provinces allowed
for the conversion of private rental apartments into
owner-occupied condominiums. This reduced the
opportunity to rent for those who fell somewhere
between being prospective homeowners and those
qualifying for subsidized housing. In 1970 alone,
63,545 new private-rental housing units were opened
in Canada. In 1996, only 4,290 were built. Finally, in
1994, the federal government withdrew from providing
funding for any new affordable housing units, and,
until disaster was declared, left the provinces and the
municipalities to pick up the tab.

As part of Canada’s Homeless Awareness Week in midOctober, the Victoria Cool Aid Society, in partnership
with community leaders and other service providers,
announced the second Homeless Needs Survey for the
capital region to be held from January 15 to 19, 2007.
“The Homeless Needs Survey is designed to both count
the number of homeless and determine their housing
and support needs through a simple questionnaire,”
said Kathy Stinson, executive director of Cool Aid.
Hank Vanderkooi, a tenant with Cool Aid for the past
16 years points to the importance of the Survey:
“I have friends who don’t have an apartment and I can
tell you that it’s really hard to survive without shelter …
A simple one-bedroom apartment that’s affordable,”
he said, “has made a world of difference in my life.”

Fernwood is such a neighbourhood.
It is 6:30am. Bound this time for my little cubicle at
the university where a stack of unread books awaits
me. Early start, feeling a little guilty having spent
the previous day spackling and sanding, painting
and washing. But only a little. Slink my bike past my
neighbours’ motor bike and onto Fernwood. Towards
Gladstone. About to whoosh down the hill. But
stop. At Fernwood and Gladstone where I’d spent
the previous day. The Cornerstone building. Sleeps
quietly still. Expectantly. Awaiting the footsteps of the
families moving in November 1st. One old building.
Unboarded. Rebuilt with neighbourhood hands.
Reduces housing affordability stress. One building
then, at a time.

It is 6:30 a.m., the Tuesday after Thanksgiving weekend.
I pull up in front of the Fernwood Community Centre
on Gladstone to return the tables I’ve borrowed for the
weekend. Still sleepy, and stumble out of the car. There
beside the Community Centre door the remnants of a
sleeping body. A blanket. A makeshift pillow. Feeling
bad, disturbing someone’s few precious hours of sleep.
I bend down, lower my hand. The pillow is still warm.
On October 3rd, the British Columbia government
announced Housing Matters BC, an innovative
and comprehensive housing strategy to help British
Columbians access affordable housing.
Annual Number and Proportion,

“This strategy will immediately assist approximately
15,000 low-income working families and homeless
individuals,” Rich Coleman, the Minister Responsible
for Housing, said. “It’s also a new direction for
housing, designed to provoke discussion about longterm solutions.”
In addition to its $40 million a year new Rental
Assistance Program (RAP) to assist families earning
below $20,000 annually, the Province has committed
to building 450 new supportive housing units, and to
subsidizing these for 35 years. The government will
also provide a subsidy of $13 million a year for 35
years to create 550 new assisted living units under the
Independent Living BC program for seniors. Longterm solutions? A good beginning perhaps. The RAP
program will give about $100 per month to families
earning less than $20,000, but people can’t get this
money if they are already on social assistance. And
1000 total units subsidized for 35 years is certainly
a good start. Yet, according to Don McTavish, who
runs the Cool Aid Society’s shelters, there are currently
14,000 people on waiting lists for subsidized housing
in the province.
What will this new provincial spending mean for
Victoria? What kinds of housing do people need?
How should the money be spent?

VillageVibe

Social and Private Rental Housing Units
Built in Canada, 1970-2001

A one-bedroom apartment, however, might not be that
simple in some parts of the Capital Region District.
According to the 2001 Canadian census, in Victoria,
it is the residents of inner city (pre-World War II)
neighbourhoods that experience the greatest housing
affordability stress, that is, who pay 30% or more of
their income on rent. While in fourteen other major
Canadian cities suburban homelessness is on the rise,
Victoria has the highest proportion (54%) of tenants
experiencing housing affordability stress living in inner
city neighbourhoods than anywhere else in Canada.

November 2006 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5

garden gleanings : Fall in the Garden

>> by Margaret Hantiuk
Fall can be a beautiful time in the garden. It
can be a busy time too. If the sun is still warm (as it
is now) watch for wilting leaves and drought stress.
Unless it is rains often enough your garden will still
need to be watered – especially on the south side,
under trees or under over hangs. You will not need
to water as much for as long or as often though.
Potted plants will still need to be watered as well,
again, especially on sunny, patios or porches.
Autumn is a good time to plant new trees and
shrubs, as they will have time to get comfortable
before the winter, and the November rains will settle
them in. And, they won’t have to deal with the hot
sun either. Make sure when you purchase your shrub
or perennial that you know what you are buying
and that you know where it will go. Read the label
carefully and look up the plant in a book at the
nursery (all good nurseries have reference books at
the counter for their customers to use). Check the
ultimate size – will it work in the space you have in

mind? For a shrub or tree to look its best, it should
be able to grow unhindered. That means not being
pruned into an unnatural shape to restrain its size
(Bonzai trees, roses, fruit trees, and hedges are, of
course, exceptions.)
What are the requirements? Do you have enough
sun or shade for the special new addition to your
garden? If it needs ‘moist soil’, can you provide that?
(I am at the point that I avoid plants that require
moist conditions due to our increasingly dry
summers). It’s worth it to get a healthy plant. When
you get your prize home, water it if you have to leave
it in the pot for a few days. When you are planting it,
again, make sure that you understand the plant’s needs
and what your garden offers. If you are planting in a
spot when the leaves are already down, it may look
sunny, but when the deciduous leaves return in the
spring, it may turn out to be quite a shady spot!
Most plants need a fair bit of sun to do well. That
being said. there are some plants that tolerate partial
shade (just a couple of hours), a few plants and trees
that thrive in light shade, and a very few that thrive
in deep shade. It really doesn’t pay to ignore this
requirement as your investment of money, time, and
energy will eventually be lost.
Dig a big hole and amend the soil in it by adding
some of your compost and perhaps a handful of
bonemeal. (Buy a bag of sea soil or steer manure if you
don’t have compost.) Plant according to the directions
on the label or in a good reference book. It is advisable
to gently tease out and loosen the rootball a little,
especially if it is rootbound in the pot. (A green
thumb’s rule: plant a $10.00 tree in a $100.00 hole
and you will have a $100.00 tree – the reverse applies
too!) Also, pay attention to the space needed for your
new plant to grow. If at first your little plants seem
too far apart, throw a few annuals in to cover the bare

leaf mould and then water well. Stake if necessary.
For the first year or two, newly planted shrubs and
plants must be watered more carefully and more often.
Fall is also the time to prune lightly. Heavy
pruning invites too much new growth just at a time
when plants and shrubs are vulnerable due to the cold.
Hedges may be trimmed lightly and roses, buddleia,
etc. cut back a little. At any time you can cut back
dead or diseased wood. Good reference books will
talk about pruning in more detail with specific details
for specific plants. Of course you may limb large trees
at any time, but it’s best to consult an arborist (tree
specialist) if you are new at this.
Finally, fall is clean up time in the garden. I
used to rake everywhere and would be exhausted by
December. Now I am much more casual. I leave some
small leaves in the beds to protect them from the cold.
I rake up large leaves that can suffocate whatever they
lay on like a cold wet blanket. I always rake everything
off of my lawn, which I think is necessary. I rake up
diseased leaves separately and throw them into a
garbage bag – black spot, mildew and rust come to
mind – to be put in the garbage and not added to
the compost heap. (In the old days they would burn
these.) Most of the garden will benefit from a little
layer of smallish leaves left on the ground. Shrubs and
trees like a mulch of their own leaves at their feet. If
there are a lot of them, it’s best to rake up most and
make a compost pile. Then the leaves can be returned
to the plants as a very nutritious mulch because of
all of the worms that help turn compost; compost is
considered to be one of the finest ‘soil conditioners’
(enriches sandy soil, and loosens up clay soils.) I also
used to trim all of my perennials down to the ground
once they began to wilt and decay with cold wet
weather. Now I wait and let the seeds develop for the
birds. My garden used to be much tidier, but now it’s

A green thumb’s rule: plant a $10.00 tree in
a $100.00 hole and you will have a $100.00
tree – the reverse applies too.
earth. In a few years you will see why the instructions
recommended so much space between plants.
Mulching in between will keep the weeds down and
keep the soil moist between watering. Compost
as mulch will also increase the fertility of your soil
and improve its tilth (structure). Make sure the new
addition to your garden is straight up before you very
gently tamp the soil around the trunk. Usually, the
soil should hit just about the same place on the stalk
or trunk that it did in the pot. Mulch with compost or

more healthy and alive. And I now have many birds
that live in and visit my yard.
It seems to me that my garden now has a life of
its own; I have given up control and now the yard
is following its own natural cycles. I am merely the
facilitator! I learn as I go along and I enjoy the garden
much more even if I do work in it a little less.

it’s easy to support Fernwood NRG
Looking for a convenient way to support Fernwood NRG in its efforts to revitalize the neighbourhood? Consider designating all or
part of your workplace charitable contribution to your neighbourhood. The United Way of Great Victoria has an easy designation
option that allows you to support specific charities. Just tick the box and insert Fernwood NRG as your organization of choice.
Our charitable tax # is 107 380 982 RR0001.

Page 6 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | November 2006

VillageVibe

faces of fernwood :

Fernwood Inn Reincarnated
>> by Susan Salvati
Walking into the Fernwood
village core on a sunny afternoon
in October, there is a whir of
activity. Saws are buzzing, there
is the sound of hammers and
construction trucks abound.
Workers are everywhere.
Much of the action centres
around the newly reincarnated
Fernwood Inn. People have
been curious about what exactly

headquarters – a collection of
model cars lining one set of
shelves and three Wharholesque
Marilyn Monroe prints as a
backdrop – I learn that Jeff ’s
entrepreneurial spirit was born
very early on. He recalls how
he left school in grade six and
began working as a lot boy for
Metro Toyota. “I didn’t consult
anybody,” he said, “I just did it.”
As time went on, he
developed a background in

is going on. After a period of
negotiation, the fraternal team of
Jeffery and Christopher Wilson
took possession of the George
and Dragon on August 1st, 2006.
Immediately, the popular local
hangout was closed for extensive
renovations. August and
September were very busy, both
inside and outside the building.
Many eyes were watching on
October 11th as a crane set the
signs for the new Fernwood Inn
into place.
So who are the faces behind
the big change? Chatting
with Chris and Jeff in their

marketing and promotions for
the hospitality industry. Jeff
explains that eventually he
“evolved into an owner.”
Chris, an alumnus of Vic
High, has a background as a chef.
Their partnership, spanning
fifteen years, has included such
ventures as The Diner on Yates
Street and a number of cabarets
such as New York, New York,
Diesel, and The Boom Boom
Room. Jeff explains that he and
Chris had been talking about
opening a pub for some time and
surveying potential sights when
“the opportunity arose here.”

your ad
could be
here

VillageVibe

In renovating the Fernwood
Inn, the Wilson brothers have
aimed to recreate the spirit of the
building’s original time period.
A good guess is that the original
Fernwood Inn was built between
1903 and 1910. Efforts to bring
back some of the Inn’s former
glory are evident in elegant
lighting choices (including a
large stained glass chandelier),
wood floors and dental molding.
The west-side door, most recently
the entrance for Freedom
Kilts, will once again become
the main entrance for the
establishment. Over thirty
man hours were committed
to reclaiming this important
feature.
The entrance to the Inn
through this door will take
the patron to zone one,
the lounge/holding area.
Customers can then move into
zone two which is the dining
area, and finally into zone
three, the band room. Jeff
and Chris are intending the
entertainment at the Fernwood
Inn to be very diverse including
jazz, blues, Elvis impersonators,
karaoke, and poetry readings.
“We will basically be open to
anything,” says Jeff.
The menu will feature
nightly specials and there are
plans for the Inn to be open for
weekend brunch.
One thing is certain; the
renovation of the Fernwood
Inn is one more huge step
toward a revitalized village
core. Already the renovation
has provided employment to
numerous area residents and

fernwood
marketplace
Advertise Here
Your ad could be here! $5.00 for three lines. $1/additional line.
Send an email to marketplace@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca.
Ads due the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue.

Volunteers Needed
Are you looking for a guaranteed warm fuzzy once a month?
If so, why not volunteer to help recycle plastic? On the
second Saturday of every month, the Fernwood Community
Centre at 1240 Gladstone Ave. is the place to recycle bags
and bags of plastics, styrofoam and other stuff that your
blue box just doesn’t take. Oaklands has closed down their
monthly recycling and so Fernwood is getting busy. We need
your help. The commitment could be as little as two hours
once a month. If you’re interested, please contact info@
ferwoodneighbourhood.ca. The Earth will thank you.

Advertise Here
Your ad could be here! $5.00 for three lines. $1/additional line.
Send an email to marketplace@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca.
Ads due the 10th of the month for the
following month’s issue.

further opportunities are sure to
present themselves. Neighbours
are excited about the energy that
is coming to the four corners of
our village, about having another
comfortable establishment where
they can hang out, be entertained,
get a great meal.
Village business owners

are enthused at this newest
development too as successful
business brings a spiral of success
to other businesses. With the
renovation of the Fernwood
Inn, our village core is poised to
become the densely populated,
energized, and economically
vibrant hub that it once was.

your ad
could be
here

$150.00 (20% discount

$100.00 (20% discount

if booking for 12 issues)

if booking for 12 issues)

November 2006 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7

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Make Yer
Neighbourhood Nicer

Green Thumbs

Free Internet and Computer Access

Composting Basics Workshop

Complete your one-time registration and

Total Plastics Recycling Day

Sat, Nov 4, Compost Ed. Centre,

then get online through the Community

Sat, Nov 11, Back of FCC 10am - Noon.

11:00am – 1:00pm, Free!

Access Program. FCC Community

(Every 2nd Sat of Month) Recycle

Gardening without Pesticides

Room, 9:15am – 8:30pm, Monday to

plastics of all kinds (Styrofoam packing,

Workshops

Friday, except for 11:00am to 3:00pm on

soft plastics and bags, and ALL hard /

Native Plant Gardening, Sat, Nov 18,

Wednesdays. Free!

rigid plastics) plus old electronics.

Compost Ed. Centre, 2:00pm – 4:00pm,

Drop-in Floorhockey

By donation to cover transportation.

members $13.50, non-members $15.

Co-ed Adult (18+), all equipment
provided. Ongoing Tuesdays and

Special Events
City of Victoria Residential
Leaf Pick Up
Autumn means it’s time to start raking!
Residential leaf pick-up from curbs
and boulevards begins on Sun, Nov 12.
Pick up schedule for different areas of
“Greater Fernwood” varies: check out
more detailed pick up schedule info at
http://www.victoria.ca/residents/prksrc_
prks_lfplpc_schdl.shtml.
Remembrance Day
Nov 11. All Fernwood schools closed on
Monday, Nov 13.
Neighbourhood Emergency
Preparedness Program Workshops
Individual and Family Preparedness,
You may be on your own for up to 72
hours before help arrives. Learn how

In addition students have been busy with Chariot Races
in the gym at lunch where they compete by pulling their
team along a course in the gym on sheets. The Vic High
Players, a drama group, presented “Shards of Destruction,”
a play about crystal meth addiction. The Jr. and Sr. soccer,
volleyball, and rowing teams are well underway in their
seasons. Leadership students, the Yearbook Committee,
the Students’ Council and the Vic High R & B Band are
all up and running. The R & B Band is hosting Danish
students for about 10 days, an exchange for last May
when our students traveled to Denmark. There is also an
Aquarium club and a ‘Community Choir’ open to anyone
who likes to sing. (Practices are Monday evenings – call
Mark Hellman at 382-7048 for more info.) The Tech Ed
students have received their solar-powered car kit and will
be making it for the Skills Canada contest. The Tech Ed

deptartment just finished three successful summer courses
for students in Carpentry, Auto Tech and Metalworking.
Vic High has Career Prep studies that focus on specific
career paths such as: Tech Ed (Auto Tech, Carpentry/
Joinery, Electronics), I/T, Human Services, Music and
Biology. There is also Pre-Employment studies program to
prepare students for work experience. Then there is the full
array of academic courses from Grades 9 to 12, preparing
students for colleges or universities. We also have three
wonderful Youth and Family Counselors, knowledgeable
Educational Counselors, a First Nations Educational
Liaison (Ann Tenant), a full-time Librarian, and many
people from the community come in to help out on a
regular basis.
Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meetings are for
parents and guardians of all Vic High students and they
happen on the first Tuesday of the month from 7:00 to
9:00pm in the staff room on the main floor. (Turn right in
the main hall at the Grant St entrance – it’s the last door

Page 8 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | November 2006

on the right.) Parking is available on Grant, Camosun or
Gladstone. The meetings are informative, warm and casual
and our Principal usually attends to answer any concerns
and to let us know what is happening in the school.
Our first PAC meeting of the school year, on October
2nd was a treat as we had an administration-led tour of
the school. We visited the two new computer labs (one
purchased with a grant from the School District, and one
with a grant from the Ministry of Education through the
PAC). We also visited the new dark room for photography
students and the new weight room. These upgrades,
together with the painting of the classrooms in lovely
heritage colors and the refinishing of the Library floor, all
occurred last year when Vic High received a Capital grant
from the School District.
All in all, Vic High is a wonderful old school with a
keen new Administration, a great bunch of kids, and a staff
that has hit the ground running!